UN Appeals for $80 Mn for Refugees, Hosts in Iran

A man clears debris from a building damaged after a nearby residential building was hit in a US-Israeli strike in Tehran, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP)

16:45-27 March 2026 AD ـ 09 Shawwal 1447 AH

A man clears debris from a building damaged after a nearby residential building was hit in a US-Israeli strike in Tehran, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP)

The United Nations said Friday it had launched an $80-million appeal to address the urgent humanitarian needs of nearly two million refugees in Iran and their host communities as the Middle East war rages.

Iran hosts the largest number of refugees in the world and has a significant migrant population, including 4.5 million Afghans, according to Tehran, and, according to the UN, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.

"With the recent escalation of conflict, refugees, other Afghans and host communities in Iran are struggling with concerns for their safety, job losses, psychological distress and urgent shelter needs," said Babar Baloch, spokesman for UNHCR, the UN refugee agency.

UNHCR and its humanitarian partners have put together a flash refugee response plan, urgently seeking $80 million to respond to the immediate humanitarian needs from March to May.

"This will cover 1.8 million Afghan refugees and Afghans under other status living in Iran, plus also a million in their hosting communities who have also been affected," Baloch told a press conference.

"In Iran, most Afghan refugees, they live with the urban communities side by side, and everyone is affected," he said, adding that UNHCR was getting "thousands of desperate calls every day" from Afghans seeking support.

The Middle East war erupted on February 28 when Washington and Israel launched strikes on Iran, with Tehran in turn attacking targets in Israel and Gulf nations.

The UN's International Organization for Migration said no atypical outflows of people from Iran had been detected.

Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross said the month of war had upended the lives of millions and sent shockwaves far beyond the region at a speed "that threatens to overwhelm the humanitarian response".

"Essential infrastructure critical for the supply of energy, water and health care has been damaged or destroyed. The use of heavy explosive weapons with wide area impact in urban settings has caused suffering and fear," the ICRC said in a statement.

"Without respect for the rules of war, civilians will continue to suffer profound consequences that could outlast the current conflict."

Mine Blast in Türkiye Kills Two, Leaves One Trapped

This handout photograph taken and released on October 23,2026 by Turkish news agency DHA (Demiroren News Agency) shows ambulances and fire fighters vehicles in front of a coal mine following a mining accident in Zonguldak. (Handout / DHA (Demiroren News Agency) / AFP)

11:14-23 October 2026 AD ـ 12 Jumada Al-Ula 1448 AH

Mine Blast in Türkiye Kills Two, Leaves One Trapped

An explosion at a coal mine in northwestern Türkiye killed two people, injuring five others and leaving one miner trapped, local media reported Friday, citing the provincial governor.

The explosion was caused by "firedamp", or flammable gas, said Zonguldak governor Osman Hacibektasoglu.

"Eight people were in the tunnel, seven were rescued. Unfortunately, two of our miners died after being taken to hospital," said Zonguldak governor Osman Hacibektasoglu.

Five others were injured, he added.

"One of the miners is still inside the mine. We have made contact with him and are trying to get him out," the governor said.

Two of the injured suffered burns and were in serious condition, according to the official.

Earlier this month, five people were killed in a coal mine collapse in western Türkiye.

The deadliest mining disaster in Türkiye's history occurred in the western town of Soma in 2014, when 301 miners died from carbon monoxide poisoning following an underground fire triggered by an explosion.

Testimonies from miners and technical reports later pointed to a series of basic safety violations, including the absence of adequate carbon monoxide detection systems.

In the aftermath of the disaster, the government pushed through reforms aimed at improving safety and working conditions in the sector.

World

Romania Says Rescue Mission Underway after Black Sea Ship Fire; 1 Dead, 3 Missing

File photo: An aerial view from a helicopter shows a rescue vessel during a fire-fighting operation following an accident involving two ships, which caught fire in the Kerch Strait, near the coast of Crimea in this handout photo released by Russian Emergencies Ministry January 22, 2019. Russia's Ministry for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters/Handout via REUTERS

Asharq Al Awsat

11:11-23 October 2026 AD ـ 12 Jumada Al-Ula 1448 AH

Asharq Al Awsat

11:11-23 October 2026 AD ـ 12 Jumada Al-Ula 1448 AH

Romania Says Rescue Mission Underway after Black Sea Ship Fire; 1 Dead, 3 Missing

Romanian authorities said Friday that a search and rescue mission is underway in the Black Sea after a cargo ship caught fire, leaving one dead and three missing.

The incident occurred about 13 nautical miles (15 miles) east of the port city of Constanta, according to the Romanian Naval Authority, and was reported around 10 a.m. local time. The ship’s crew consisted of 10 Ukrainian citizens and 3 Azerbaijanis, The Associated Press said.

The Ministry of Interior said border police were informed by the Maritime Coordination Center about a fire on board a commercial vessel, which “suffered major damage and capsized, with an imminent risk of sinking.”

“Of the 13 people on board, ten were recovered by another commercial vessel in the area, nine alive and one deceased,” the ministry said. “Three others are still missing.”

World

China Says US ‘Undermining’ Cooperation as Universities Cut Ties

The US and Chinese flag at the Great Hall of the People on May 14, 2026, in Beijing. (AP)

10:08-23 October 2026 AD ـ 12 Jumada Al-Ula 1448 AH

10:05-23 October 2026 AD ـ 12 Jumada Al-Ula 1448 AH

10:08-23 October 2026 AD ـ 12 Jumada Al-Ula 1448 AH

10:05-23 October 2026 AD ـ 12 Jumada Al-Ula 1448 AH

China Says US ‘Undermining’ Cooperation as Universities Cut Ties

The US and Chinese flag at the Great Hall of the People on May 14, 2026, in Beijing. (AP)

Beijing accused Washington on Friday of "undermining" scientific cooperation after the US Defense Department said dozens of American universities had cut ties with certain foreign institutions, including some in China, citing security risks.

The two governments are jostling for influence in science and technology and have often accused each other of security threats and interference.

The United States Defense Department announced on Monday that 30 US universities had "fully mitigated" their ties with a list of institutions that pose a "concern to national security".

The docket, most recently published in July, lists dozens of Chinese military, scientific and technological institutions, as well as ones in Russia and Iran.

"China is always opposed to the US practice of overstretching the concept of national security," a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce said in response to a question about the US Defense Department's announcement.

"The relevant actions taken by the US side essentially coerce American institutions into 'picking sides'," the unnamed spokesperson said in a statement.

"Deliberately undermining normal scientific cooperation between China and the United States will only weaken the US' own scientific progress and innovation."

China would take "necessary measures" to protect its institutions, the spokesperson said, warning the US to stop imposing "discriminatory and restrictive measures" against them.

UN Appeals for $80 Mn for Refugees, Hosts in Iran

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Mine Blast in Türkiye Kills Two, Leaves One Trapped

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China Says US ‘Undermining’ Cooperation as Universities Cut Ties

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